Campus Council (CC) held a public meeting on Feb. 23. The meeting started with Jack Johanning ’17, chair of CC, outlining the process under which the Phi Omega Sigma (“Omega”) charter review was initiated.

According to Johanning, Heather Smith ’17, gender/sexual diversity representative of CC, had asked what was done relative to the Omega charter on Dec. 8. CC then learned that the suspension was lifted in October. There was concern expressed over the matter, which led to CC’s decision to look further into the matter throughout the semester.

“We never actually had a solid process in place for this,” said Johanning, referring to the power CC holds over the review process of charters and chartered organizations. “[Over} the past five weeks, we’ve been engaging with each other and with the campus community to create a strong review process that could be used in the future.”

The meeting looked at information presented to CC by Omega and other members of the campus community. Johanning clarified that a private wiki page had been established for members of Omega and CC to review any evidence, and that all evidence added to that page prior to Tuesday at noon was open to discussion. Any other documentation would have to be requested into evidence for a later CC meeting.

“This is an attempt to find more information and understand the organization, where they are now relative to where they were previously, making information clear to the public,” said Johanning.

One piece of evidence discussed was a video taken on the residential quad of alleged alumni leading a chant during the pledging process for new members of the Omega organization. Security and Protective Services (SPS) launched a full investigation, due to a request from Jess Ettell, director of student rights and responsibilities.

Ettell said that the investigation did not find enough information to charge current students for the chant evidenced in the video. “The group did disclose to us that they had alumni on campus, and alumni were participating in chanting things but none of them knew the chants and were actually confused by it,” she said. “The president of Omega shared with me that at that point they were at an impassive ‘let’s just get through with this’ […] because there were over 20 alumni present on campus,” she said.

Cole Buehler ’17, president of Omega, expressed sympathy with victims of the Dec. 12 incident, which led to the suspension of the fraternity by President Georgia Nugent in the fall of 2015. “I’ve said this numerous amount of times that we are very sympathetic towards anyone who is a victim of anything period [.…] Specifically in the comments of The Wooster Voice article, people are upset that I said it did not happen. What did not happen was the fraternity did not get together and say, ‘we’re going to buy roofies and drug people,’” he said.

However, Buehler did acknowledge that there was a party that weekend held over reading days. He also noted that the night “did seem weird […] something definitely did happen.” But Buehler claimed, “there were no sexual assaults that night.”

Smith questioned Buehler’s statement regarding sympathy toward victims who were drugged that night. “If that’s true, then why did you allow your alleged alumni to shout misogynistic and homophobic things in the middle of the quad? Do you associate yourselves with your alumni? Did you try to tell them not to do that? Why didn’t you stop them?”

When asked for clarification about what statements specifically were misogynistic or homophobic, Smith said, “They say ‘we hate those fucking queers.’”

“I don’t believe the word was ‘queers’,” said Buehler. “I don’t know the whole chant. I remember at the time thinking the word was ‘beers’ or something else […] I have not heard those chants during my four years of being here.”

However, Johanning maintained that the chant says “We hate those fucking queers” and offered to play the video for all those present at the meeting.

Buehler said it was difficult to stop the alumni from leading the offensive chant. “It’s hard to talk to someone who is four years older than you and in the exact same shoes I was, to tell them what to do and have authority over them,” he said. “I’m not saying I didn’t do the best I could.”

He said Omega later held a meeting with new members, explaining that those chants were unacceptable and never to be repeated.

Buehler made a statement focused on what changes the organization has implemented. “Last year the leadership was not to the standard that it should be in our organization. It was something that lacked and was a major problem with everything that happened,” he said. “The first action that I have decided to take becoming president was to step away from our house being next to the O.A.T.s.”

Buehler emphasized that one of Omega’s largest problems was living next to a group such as O.A.T. — an organization unsanctioned by the College ­­— which led to any events happening within the general area being misconceived to be under the responsibility of the Omega organization. As a result, Omega members have since moved out of their house on Spink Street.

When asked about rumors that Omega has a new house on the corner of Washington and University, leadership of the fraternity, both Buehler and upcoming president Lewis Hibbs ’18, said these rumors were false, denying connections between the house and fraternity.

In addition, Omega has now found a new faculty advisor in Pamela Rose, director of the learning center. “This fraternity is made up of football and lacrosse kids for the majority of it, and she has individually seen all these kids before being our faculty advisor. So not only has she seen kids in the library walk by and ask about grades, but she is more on top of who the fraternity is and who is in it,” said Buehler.

Rose will be retiring at the end of the 2016-17 academic year. However, Buehler clarified that Omega has been working with her to create a potential list of faculty advisors for future years.

Buehler also detailed Omega’s efforts to commit to a service program either with the police or veterans because this was a field where members all had a passion for service.

Buehler also explained new implementations and updates of their constitution. He stressed that members of Omega had undergone Training for Intervention ProcedureS (T.I.P.S.) training, which was completed within one week of new members being initiated into the group, with the exception of one person who was not able to participate due to personal reasons.

A topic introduced to discussion, once the floor was opened for questions, was a letter penned by the Omega organization to CC, sent the night before this meeting was to be held.

“Your constitution states that you honor honesty and trust and cooperation. However, there is a preponderance of evidence that has been presented that you are most likely involved in or have some relationship with the drugging of students at the College in 2015,” said Smith. “In addition, the letter that you sent to CC last night did not display trust in the system or cooperation with the process thus far. How do you respond to that?”

Jordan Griffith ’19, at-large representative of CC, also questioned the letter. “So you have been party to this process throughout the creation of this process itself. We have respected your request to push the timeline back, while still balancing the interest of the student body in mind,” he said. “Can you explain why you thought it was appropriate, why it was the most effective way to send a letter casting doubt over the entire process to which you were a party to, the night before this event was going to take place?”

Hibbs responded that while trust is an important value to Omega, there has been a lack of transparency throughout this process with CC, which has broken down that trust.

“We’ve been left in the dark about several things, specifically about documents,” he said. “If we didn’t send that letter, [the documents] would have been discussed today, which were uploaded quite literally last night giving us no time to review the documents and have an answer for you.”

Johanning then repeated his statements from earlier in the meeting, in which he said documents that were put up prior to Tuesday were the only ones being discussed at that time.

Numerous members of the community that were present at the meeting, including Councilors Griffith and Smith, expressed concern at the lack of a public statement by Omega denouncing sexual assault.

“I’ve seen nothing from the Omegas disseminated to the entire student body saying ‘we condemn these actions, we take responsibility and we’re working hard to fix these. This is not a reflection of who we are; this is an isolated incident.’ I’ve seen nothing like that,” said Griffith.

Buehler explained that immediately following the suspension, Omega members were not allowed to meet, which contributed to the lack of a statement. Hibbs added that as Omega began to rebuild last semester, they instead chose to focus on moving forward and ensuring that such an incident would never happen again. He also stated that the Omegas will be making a public statement condemning these actions in the future.

While much of the meeting was centered on discussing evidence against Omega, there were voices from the crowd that pleaded members of CC to consider a different perspective.

“Even to this day, their house or wherever they are is the only place I feel comfortable drinking any alcohol because I trust them,” said Hannah Huston ’17. She expressed concern that members of Omega have had their “name just run into the ground” because their organization was the only one listed the night of the drugging incident on Dec. 12.

“Of course you would think, that they’re the only ones to blame if they’re the only ones being offered as someone who could do it,” she said.

The Omega leadership was worried for the future, specifically that their organization has the potential to permanently lose their charter. “I feel if this group would become unrecognized, we don’t want that to happen. And I don’t think other people would want that to happen, because look at the O.A.T.s. Do we want another fraternity like that? They have a terrible reputation. There’s no rules and regulations,” said Buehler.

When asked if his statement insinuated that if their charter was revoked, the Omega fraternity would be going underground, Hibbs said that they would follow protocol and disband, but “there are 22 members in our group. We can’t control what they do after [CC] break[s] us up.”

]]>http://thewoostervoice.spaces.wooster.edu/2017/03/03/cc-begins-review-of-phi-omega-sigma-charter/feed/0Recent additions have Cavs poised for chance at a repeathttp://thewoostervoice.spaces.wooster.edu/2017/03/03/recent-additions-have-cavs-poised-for-chance-at-a-repeat/
http://thewoostervoice.spaces.wooster.edu/2017/03/03/recent-additions-have-cavs-poised-for-chance-at-a-repeat/#respondFri, 03 Mar 2017 08:50:00 +0000http://thewoostervoice.spaces.wooster.edu/?p=13491When Cleveland Cavaliers starting guard J.R. Smith had surgery in the middle of December, few would have expected or hoped that this was the start of a season-long trend for the Cavs of horribly unlucky injuries. Kevin Love underwent surgery a few weeks ago in order to rehabilitate a nagging knee injury. These injuries forced the Cavs to make some critical player acquisitions that will benefit Cleveland come playoff time.

Although the Cavaliers stood pat at the trade deadline and did not utilize their trade exception, general manager David Griffin has put together another year’s worth of savvy moves to leave head coach Tyronn Lue with the welcomed headache of accommodating more players into his rotation than he is accustomed to. In last year’s NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors, Lue relied heavily on seven players. Out of these seven, LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith and Tristan Thompson played more than thirty minutes per contest, while Kevin Love, Richard Jefferson and Iman Shumpert were the only other players for the Cavs to average double-digit minutes of playing time. This concern was part of the reason Griffin went into January and February intent on making quality additions that will allow Lue to allocate minutes in a more sustainable manner.

The additions of Kyle Korver, Deron Williams and (potentially) Andrew Bogut are all positive moves that leave the Cavs in a much better position than where they were at the beginning of the year.

Kyle Korver, perhaps the best catch-and-shoot three-point threat in the league, has been a revelation. Since joining the Cavs, Korver is shooting a torrid 52 percent from three-point range, up a full eight points from his percentage with Atlanta in the first half of the season. Most tellingly, however, is that fact that Korver is averaging nearly 26 minutes per game as a Cavalier, including 9.5 minutes in the fourth quarter, a team high. This statistic indicates that Lue is as comfortable and willing to play Korver in crunch time as closers James and Irving.

The recent acquisition of Deron Williams will do wonders for Kyrie Irving, a critical player whose only natural backup this season has been Kay Felder, a D-League caliber player who tries hard but can do little to initiate meaningful offense.

Many have decried Williams as being an over-the-hill player, but his statistics tell another story, as he is currently creating the 15th most points per possession in the NBA, which includes his assists, and is ranked by Synergy Analytics 31st out of 124 NBA guards in defense. In a team that relies heavily on pick-and-roll offense, Williams’ effective field goal percentage of 55 is another welcome attribute, while the fact that shooters Williams passes to in these situations shoot an effective field goal percentage of 70 is both intriguing and mind-boggling. Williams will provide the Cavs’ second-unit with a reliable quarterback, spelling James from this duty as needed.

Andrew Bogut, who is considering joining the Cavaliers from Philadelphia after receiving a buyout, provides Cleveland with the big man they are desperately missing. If Bogut can pick up ten minutes per game during the playoffs, the Cavaliers will be thankful for taking a chance on the Australian.

With these additions in hand, LeBron James and the Cavaliers have a much better chance of becoming repeat champions this summer than they did at the start of 2017.

]]>http://thewoostervoice.spaces.wooster.edu/2017/03/03/recent-additions-have-cavs-poised-for-chance-at-a-repeat/feed/0The Living Wage is a worthwhile campaignhttp://thewoostervoice.spaces.wooster.edu/2017/03/03/the-living-wage-is-a-worthwhile-campaign/
http://thewoostervoice.spaces.wooster.edu/2017/03/03/the-living-wage-is-a-worthwhile-campaign/#respondFri, 03 Mar 2017 08:50:00 +0000http://thewoostervoice.spaces.wooster.edu/?p=13495Last week, a truly lovely article about the current state of the Living Wage Campaign at Wooster was featured in a Viewpoint from The Wooster Voice.

I cannot express to all of you still fighting the good fight (in all realms of social justice issues on campus) how much I sincerely appreciate what you do and who you are. Before I go any further, let me be explicit about one thing: the world is better because of each and every one of you.

In this brief response to last week’s Viewpoint I want to 1) offer an addendum as to the prominent players in the movement who graduated last spring and 2) offer some advice as to how best to form and keep a movement alive in the constant rotating communities of a four year college.

First, I want to be open and honest with my concern as to why I am so often acknowledged as a principle leader in the movement. While I did play an important role, I was absolutely not a linchpin as often portrayed.

I believe that, unfortunately, my being a straight, white, male accounted for much of my public acclamation. The powers that be (Trustees) had an easier time listening to what I had to say as I mirrored many of their own experiences as members of the hegemonic group.

However, our truly fearless leader, Kristen Estabrook, put in countless hours working from every angle of the problem at hand. She researched extensively as to how best address the problem of wage inequality on our campus.

She lost more sleep than any human probably should simply because her heart was too big to hold the pain of the workers she came to know so well. We would be remiss not to include her in the history of the movement.

Additionally, one thing that the Living Wage Campaign did so well was to delegate roles and responsibilities extensively. Therefore, many people played prominent roles. It would be nearly impossible to name them all here. A fair amount of those hard workers were seniors, but so many more were passionate underclasswomen and men who continue to push for justice for our workers.

Next, I want to offer some, perhaps unexpected, advice not only to the Living Wage Campaign but to any student organizing group on campus: Be joyful. Experience joy pretty much anytime you assemble as a team.

One thing that allowed us to be a strong community was our ability to come together and laugh and smile. In the face of a nearly constant battery of frustrations and anxieties brought on by the work we do, we absolutely have to find room for real rejoicing.

Make time during meetings for games or story telling. Find separate meeting times for parties and non-social justice related activities. Create actions that are, themselves, exhibitions of resistance based in joy.

Recently, COSECHA, a group that organizes to protect and support immigrants in the United States, used a “Salsa Shutdown” in Boston to protest against various large corporations that fall under the current Migrant Boycott. It was incredibly effective and undeniably fun.

Soon enough, the love that we create in our own communities of resistance will exceed our own capacity and will spill over to the rest of the world. More people will join in the movement and it can exist across time, even after leaders graduate.

Bring people in with as many shouts of joy as there are shouts of anguish. The two live in beautiful paradox.

Again, please continue the good fight. Bring joy to your work. We need it now more than ever. Peace and power, friends.

Cullen Dolson, an alumnus of the College, is a Contributing Writer for the Voice.

]]>http://thewoostervoice.spaces.wooster.edu/2017/03/03/the-living-wage-is-a-worthwhile-campaign/feed/0Why Comics Are Importanthttp://thewoostervoice.spaces.wooster.edu/2017/03/03/why-comics-are-important/
http://thewoostervoice.spaces.wooster.edu/2017/03/03/why-comics-are-important/#respondFri, 03 Mar 2017 08:50:00 +0000http://thewoostervoice.spaces.wooster.edu/?p=13475Kito Ashbey, a Contributing Writer for the Voice, can be reached for com

Some of my fondest childhood memories stem from comic strips. I’ll never forget coming home after a long day of school and turning to the back pages of the newspaper to see what wacky situation Beetle Bailey had gotten himself into or how much Garfield hated Mondays.

As a kid these characters became something of a family to me. Everyday I could count on Archie to make me laugh, Family Circus to make me groan and even Charlie Brown to make me question things around me. Fast-forward 20 years and it feels like the back page has now taken a backseat to another form of entertainment: Netflix.

Now don’t get me wrong: anybody who knows me knows that I love television more than anything. The images, music and scene structure all come together, creating an amazing audio-visual experience. But that is also part of the problem. With television the visuals have already been constructed for the viewer. You are allowed to turn off your brain and simply watch the action unfold.

With comic strips the reader relies on their imagination to make the images jump off the page. No one hears the same voice when they think of Garfield speaking. No one sees the same city when they think of Gotham. And that right there is the beauty of the comic book. The comic book is personal. The narrative is your own.

The storylines found in comic books also differ from the themes and stereotypes present in most television shows. From popular shows like Friends to Seinfeld to Big Bang Theory, the narrative is almost always the same: a group of horny men constantly pursuing the hot girl of the week.

In comics, female characters aren’t depicted as powerless but instead as powerful. Characters like Wonder Woman, Invisible Woman and Supergirl are total badasses and depict female characters in ways that most audiences probably aren’t used to.

Just as comics and the consumption of comic books allows one’s imagination to flow, the same rules apply to the creation of comic books. In the equally respectable mediums of film and music, money plays a huge role in ones ability to create. You can’t just go out and make The Dark Knight Returns because it requires a budget.

With comic strips, it costs the same amount of money to have a major explosion as it does to have two characters sit and talk for a whole scene. Comic strips are a nice way to let people explore their creative side without having to worry about budget constraints.

The way we consume media is steadily changing. With the creation of Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime, access to television has become virtually instant. Even though television is one of mankind’s greatest storytelling methods, it is still only one method.

I urge TV lovers to turn off the latest episodes of Black Mirror (as awesome as they are), close their laptops and delve into the wonderful world of comics. You just might find that it challenges your imagination in ways you never even thought possible.

During each Wooster summer session, a hidden gem of creative and artistic energy manifests in the creation of the Artful Dodge, an annual literary magazine based at The College of Wooster. While the latest issue was published last summer, the Voice’s A&E editors belatedly smelled an opportunity for recognizing the Artful Dodge anew. The timing makes sense on the heels of the journal’s 2017 summer editorial session, where students can volunteer as active members of the journal’s selection process, if they so desire.

However, casual readers and book connoisseurs who missed the Artful Dodge’s 2016 release may wish to investigate its prose and poetry on offer, for its contemplations of connectedness offer solace when busy, politically-aware college students may feel barred from meaningful conversations.

Professor Daniel Bourne of the English department launched the journal 20 years ago, and he continues to work on the Dodge as its Editor in Chief. The Dodge’s chief motif, Bourne argues, has to be place.

“[Place] can be characterized as cultural, or in a natural science sort of way it can be political, but there is some kind of connection to the world, but then what does that mean?” Bourne pondered in conversation with me. We sat in a gently disarrayed space where writers from Elizabeth Bishop to Roland Barthes watched us from the side of spines. The so-called genius and power of dead writerly predecessors always merits respect when one works in English, even as their existence causes a bit of anxiety in young amateurs.

The influence of other writers simultaneously becomes a source of inspiration. When Bourne was a younger librarian surrounded by rare books at Indiana University he got to handle the first serialized edition of James Joyces’ Ulysses; he could also interview the brilliant surrealist Jorges Luis Borges (please read Labyrinths, everyone) and Omar Pound, the son of the modernist poet Ezra Pound, who Bourne claims is “very open to discussing anything under the sun, except for Ezra Pound.”

In Bourne’s memory, he forever ties amazing literature and culture with the unexpected location of Bloomington, Ind., which funded several cultural studies programs as a result of the Cold War.

During this time, Bourne started the Artful Dodge in the interest of mulling on place in its kaleidoscopic, often contradictory forms, a “raison d’etre” for which the journal still strives. For instance, the 2016 issue which was simply entitled 52/53, the Artful Dodge includes a prose-piece where writer Jeff Gundy dwells on Kafka as a Mennonite in Prague. “It’s so important how poets open up new aspects of language by reassembling the puzzle of that poem in translation in a second language,” says Bourne, and indeed, the number of translated works in each Artful Dodge volume highlights its commitment to world literature.

The Artful Dodge also gives back to its student-helping hands, and its gifts go beyond thought- provoking writing. “Working with Artful Dodge has really taught me a lot about the publishing process,” says autumn smith ’18, an assistant editor this past summer. “When I submit work to journals it helps knowing that those places are doing the same work we are and are in similar situations. Knowing what goes into making a literary magazine makes me more patient if I’m waiting to hear back from a journal.”

Channler Twyman ’18 says that getting his hands behind the Artful Dodge’s editorial team let him better define what good writing meant. “Good writing is genuine,” he says. “It’s easy to spot when people are not being genuine, or when they don’t know what they’re talking about: ‘oh I’m going to write this in five minutes and submit it!’ It’s so important to have people look at your work before you submit it.[Sometimes] you get so bogged down in the typos and trying to make sense of [a piece], it’s unprofessional. The best writing comes from a place of authenticity and being genuine to the content and not boring your reader, just really telling the story, just being true and authentic and committing to the story, telling only the story.”

Of Bourne’s ideals for the greatest literature for the Dodge, he says “place that engages in a vertical journey downward into the culture and downward into history…wow, [that] makes me pay attention.” If readers are interested in heightening their own capacity for artistic attention, they can pick up a copy of the Dodge for themselves at the Wooster bookstore, or they can contact Bourne about volunteering.

Four Greek groups including the fraternity Xi Chi Psi and the sororities Alpha Gamma Phi, Zeta Phi Gamma and Delta Phi Alpha, have been temporarily suspended pending investigation by the administration. These suspensions are a result of allegations of hazing surrounding each group’s New Member Education activities.

Hazing is addressed in Section X of the Code of Social Responsibility of the Scot’s Key. It is prohibited by The College of Wooster and illegal in the State of Ohio. As defined by Ohio law, hazing is “doing any act or coercing another, including the victim, to do any act of initiation into any student or other organization that causes or creates a substantial risk of causing mental or physical harm to any person.” The Scot’s Key also states, “the College will consider hazing to be any portion of a new member process, whether on campus or off, which could cause discomfort, pain, fright, disgrace, injury or which is personally degrading regardless of the intent or end result.”

In an email sent out to the campus community on Jan. 24, Joe Kirk, Associate Director of Security and Protective Services/Director of Greek Life, stated, “Hazing can manifest itself in the form of physical violence, forced physical activities, or psychological and/or emotional harm, which can be violations of law.” Kirk also provided a list of several examples of hazing including sleep deprivation, the assignment of meaningless and sometimes impossible tasks, restriction of communication, forced confinement and lineups for the purpose of interrogating, demeaning, or intimidating.

“We are committed to supporting student groups, including Greek groups, as they work towards the positive goals they hold,” said Scott Brown, Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students. “When concerns about issues of safety and well-being arise it is our obligation to take them up and to review them carefully. It has come to our attention that some of the New Member Education activities are reflective of behaviors that put the health and well-being of our campus community at risk.”

Each group has been asked to cease all chapter activity until the investigations are completed. The administration met with leadership and explained that their groups were under investigation for allegations of hazing. The investigation would determine if there were any violations. “We will move forward with this process thoroughly and consistently,” said Brown. “This is in the best interests of any organization, as they have the right to an investigation, and if necessary, due process and a fair and equitable hearing. Once an organization has had their hearing, there is clarity on the next steps for the organization.”

Groups have also been asked to stop communication between active and new members. “In cases like these it ensures the pledging process stops as required and also supports the investigation itself,” said Brown. “We do not monitor their whereabouts, but will hold students accountable if we find out they violate this provision until the investigations are complete.”

Greek groups are currently working with the administration to help further the investigations until more information about the accusations is revealed. “Each group is addressing their accusations and being proactive partners with the Dean of Students Office in order to keep moving forward,” said Taylor Funderburk ’17, president of Zeta Phi Gamma.

“We are working hastily with [the] administration to proactively resolve the issues and to move forward,” said Tashiyanah Hutchins ’17, co-president of Delta Phi Alpha.

“We will continue our communication and compliance with the Dean of Students Office, Security and Protective Services and Campus Life moving forward,” said Dorian Boye-Doe ’17, president of Xi Chi Psi. “We see our suspension as an opportunity to strengthen our relationships with the administration, the Greek community, and campus as a whole. We hope to accomplish this goal with honest dialogue about Greek life, including its benefits and what can be done better, and through community outreach.”

Brown and the Dean of Students Office plan to balance support for Greek organizations and student well-being as they move forward with these investigations. “As a former Greek member who benefited tremendously from my experience in many ways, I look forward to working with all the groups,” said Brown. “Our hope, and certainly my hope, is to support our wonderful students so that they can achieve the stated goals of their organizations and address anything that might put our students in harm’s way.

]]>http://thewoostervoice.spaces.wooster.edu/2017/02/03/four-greek-groups-suspended-pending-investigation/feed/0Football dominates conference rivalhttp://thewoostervoice.spaces.wooster.edu/2016/11/04/football-dominates-conference-rival-2/
http://thewoostervoice.spaces.wooster.edu/2016/11/04/football-dominates-conference-rival-2/#respondFri, 04 Nov 2016 07:50:26 +0000http://thewoostervoice.spaces.wooster.edu/?p=12719“It feels good to win,” said Antonio Bailey ’19. The College of Wooster Football Team was far from a loss with a series of key plays made at crucial moments in a 41-16 blowout victory over Kenyon College on Saturday at John P. Papp Stadium.

Last week, the Fighting Scots lost a tough battle, 34-24, against Wabash College. In the first half against Kenyon, it was clear; the Scots came ready to fight.

Before three momentous plays in the first half, Kenyon claimed an early 3-0 lead after a 21-yard field goal. However, a big pass from Gary Muntean ’18 to Nick Cummings ’20 gave the Scots a 7-3 lead. Later, with a little over 3 minutes left in the quarter, Cummings returned an 89-yard punt for another touchdown putting Wooster up, 14-3. Bailey made the third big play of the half with an 80-yard rush right up the middle of the field for a 20-3 lead.

Brandon Adams ’20 then finished off a 12-play, 69-yard drive with a touchdown just before the half. Soon after, Muntean threw a long 28-yard touchdown strike to Tyson Vogel ’17 in the corner of the endzone on fourth down. Wooster scored their final touchdown of the game with 13:06 left in the third quarter, courtesy of Adams’ 52-yard run.

From there, the defense took over with huge tackles by Patrick Johnson ’18, Jason Cerniglia ‘20, Marcus Bowers ’19 and an interception by Christian Santos ’20.

The Scots will resume play on Saturday, Nov. 5 against Hiram College for their final home game.

]]>http://thewoostervoice.spaces.wooster.edu/2016/11/04/football-dominates-conference-rival-2/feed/0Student groups discuss topics for upcoming meeting with trusteeshttp://thewoostervoice.spaces.wooster.edu/2016/10/07/student-groups-discuss-topics-for-upcoming-meeting-with-trustees/
http://thewoostervoice.spaces.wooster.edu/2016/10/07/student-groups-discuss-topics-for-upcoming-meeting-with-trustees/#respondFri, 07 Oct 2016 07:50:18 +0000http://thewoostervoice.spaces.wooster.edu/?p=12456The Student Government Association (SGA) held a meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 4 for students to discuss the agenda for the Student Development Meeting with the Board of Trustees, which will take place on Oct. 19. The Student Development meeting is an opportunity for students to express concerns and ideas for the advancement of the College to its 43-member board of trustees.

SGA President Spencer Gilbert ’17 emphasized the importance of this collaboration, saying, “there’s a huge benefit in having a consistent mechanism in which our concerns are brought into a larger conversation of where the school is going.” Representatives from at least eight student groups met to ensure their objectives would be prioritized during the meeting on Oct. 19.

Maansi Kumar ’17, representing the International Student Association, spoke to the unique challenges that face international students during both the move-in and move-out periods of the school year. Despite the additional obstacles of organizing international travel, international students are expected to follow the same rigid calendar and policies as domestic students, which leave little time for move-in and move-out. Kumar hopes that policies can be adjusted to provide more flexibility for these students.

K(no)w representative Vy Vu ’18 spoke about the need for the College to implement an online sexual violence “warning system,” designed to provide timely information to students about reports of sexual assault on campus. Vu said that this type of procedure would help students be more aware of sexual assaults on and off campus while protecting the anonymity of those who report. While she acknowledged that the school has been making a lot of changes to their sexual assault response procedures, Vu asserted the importance of focusing on preventative measures.

Chadwick Smith ’17, president of the Black Student Association (BSA), spoke about the extent to which BSA demands for increased numbers of black faculty and staff have gone largely unmet. The demand for increased diversity of faculty and staff was first presented in the 1964 Black Student Manifesto. BSA has continued to advocate for more diverse hiring practices. Smith claims that Wooster has similar numbers of black faculty and staff today as it did during the 1960s.

Arielle Welch ’18 and Justine Walker ’18 attended the forum unaffiliated with a student group to express concerns about the lack of counseling services readily available to the student body. The counseling office, as of this year, has decreased their staff to only two full-time counselors, down from three last school year. Welch and Walker pointed out that this decrease has resulted in a ratio of only one counselor for every 1,000 Wooster students. Walker expressed concerns that the rigorous screening processes for emergency services might prevent students from receiving counseling in crisis situations. While all Wooster students are allowed five free counseling sessions as a part of tuition, Welch and Walker claimed that most students cannot actually receive five sessions due to an ever-growing wait list, which prevents prompt service distribution.

Dylan Hamilton ’17, representing the Living Wage Campaign, said he hopes to continue to put pressure on the College to provide a living wage to all employees. While the college increased the minimum wage for hourly staff from $9.50 to $11.00 an hour this semester, Hamilton maintains this is only the first step. The Living Wage Campaign is currently working to provide a more nuanced and calculated estimation of wages specific to the cost of living in Wayne County. Hamilton said these numbers will be made available for Trustees by the October 19 meeting and estimates that the number will be slightly less than the originally advocated $15 an hour.

Representatives of the Community Connections Program, a division of the Wooster Volunteer Network, highlighted the advancements their group has made over the last year in integrating volunteer experiences into First Year Seminars. Despite their progress, the group hopes to see a continued expansion of volunteerism among the Wooster student body. They expressed the need for a staff person on campus designated to coordinate volunteer networks in the community.

Cassie Huye ’17, representing the Inter Greek Council, expressed continued concerns about the communications between Greek leadership and the administration. Greek groups, Huye claims, are the only student groups who receive sanctions prior to the completion of an investigation. Huye hopes that the College will designate a single administrator to handle Greek Life relations.

Wooster Activities Committee (WAC) representative Sophie Nathanson ’17 said that, while WAC has struggled to find stability in leadership, funding and advising over the last few years, the group is progressing in the right direction. WAC has had four advisors in as many years, creating instability to which Nathanson attributed many of the group’s difficulties. She hopes that the Trustees can help support their demand for a consistent, longer-term advisor.

Lastly, both Gilbert and Smith expressed concerns about the College’s new plans to provide a premium first year housing option. The plans, which have been largely unadvertised, propose installing air conditioning in first-year centers Babcock Hall and Bornhuetter Hall and then charging higher room and board fees to students who elect to live in these dorms. Gilbert and Smith attest to the problematic nature of this plan, as it would divide first-year students on the basis of socioeconomic status. They claimed that the problem of differentiated housing prices has already resulted in socioeconomic divisions of upperclassmen. Spencer and Gilbert hope to highlight the importance of maintaining equal opportunity housing, particularly in first-year dormitories.

The official agenda for the Student Development Meeting on October 19 will be distributed to student leaders indicating their designated time to advocate for their expressed concerns. In discussing the challenges of advocating for campus progress through the Board of Trustees, Gilbert said, “Several of us have been doing this for three years now, and there are still issues we have not made enough progress on. But as students, part of our job is to constantly challenge Wooster to be better in all areas where we see deficiencies, and I think that both the trustees and the administration have been pretty good at recognizing and respecting that.”

]]>http://thewoostervoice.spaces.wooster.edu/2016/10/07/student-groups-discuss-topics-for-upcoming-meeting-with-trustees/feed/0Alex Melchert ’20 Recovering from I-71 Rest Area Shootinghttp://thewoostervoice.spaces.wooster.edu/2016/10/07/alex-melchert-20-recovering-from-i-71-rest-area-shooting/
http://thewoostervoice.spaces.wooster.edu/2016/10/07/alex-melchert-20-recovering-from-i-71-rest-area-shooting/#commentsFri, 07 Oct 2016 07:50:02 +0000http://thewoostervoice.spaces.wooster.edu/?p=12452On Oct. 2, Alexander Merchert ’20 was shot at a rest-stop off of Interstate 71 in Delaware County, Ohio, approximately 60 miles south of campus.

Melchert, who is from Neenah, Wis., was traveling back to Wooster from Columbus with a friend when he stopped at a rest stop in order to use the restroom. Upon exiting the restroom, a man — who would later be identified by police as 25-year-old Shawn Johnson of Westerville, Oh. — confronted Melchert behind his car and shot him six times before fleeing the scene in a car heading northbound on I-71. State troopers chased the vehicle into Richland County, where they deployed road spikes to stop the car, which then spun out into the guardrail. Troopers found Johnson dead of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Melchert was transported to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center in Columbus, where he was admitted in critical condition and underwent surgery in order to stop the severe bleeding. Out of the six shots, five bullets were lodged in his abdomen and another one struck his right arm. Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Scott Brown drove to Columbus to be at the hospital until Melchert’s parents arrived from Wisconsin

On Monday, Oct. 3, a vigil was held in Lowry Center in support of Melchert, who underwent a second surgery earlier that day, this one focused on repairing his diaphragm. At the vigil, coordinated by Brown, Wooster students wrote letters and get-well cards, and joined breakout sessions hosted by the counseling staff from Longbrake Student Wellness Center. Additionally, faith professionals from the Office of Interfaith Campus Ministries and Westminster Presbyterian Church were on hand to provide support for members of the campus community.

The same day, Ohio State Highway Patrol declared the shooting a random act. Patrol Sergeant Vincent Shirey reported that Melchert and Johnson did not appear to have known each other before the attack.

Court documents obtained by Channel Five News in Cleveland revealed that Columbus police issued a warrant for Johnson the day prior to the shooting on charges of domestic violence and assault.

On Oct. 4, Melchert underwent a third and final surgery, this one to repair damage done to his shoulder by the bullet that entered his right arm.

Melchert’s family held a press conference at the hospital on Tuesday night. His parents, Ken and Rebecca Melchert, and his siblings, John and Adriane Melchert, spoke gratefully of the outpouring of support for Alex from the College and his friends back home, and thanked the Wooster community for their well-wishes.

On Oct. 5, Melchert was moved out of the intensive care unit to a step down unit, as he was upgraded from critical to stable condition. His breathing tube was removed and he is now able to speak. Upon being moved, Brown reported that Melchert was making “encouraging progress” even though he must “be under careful observation which such significant abdominal injuries.” Melchert’s father reported to the College that Alex is expected to make a complete recovery from his injuries.